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Tourists Destroy Grounds Surrounding Shanghai Disneyland Before It Even Opens

By Danny Cox
Published on: 08:39 PST, May 3, 2016

Shanghai Disneyland is not set to open for another six weeks, but locals and tourists are already gearing up for the grand opening. Unfortunately, their excitement and anticipation is causing a lot of problems for Disney and the areas surrounding the new park. While the park is walled off and guests aren’t going to be allowed inside until mid-June, the surrounding land known as Disney Town has been loaded with people who are trashing the whole area.

Back in January, the Disney Parks Blog revealed that June 16, 2016, would be the official opening date for Shanghai Disneyland. The locals and tourists are both really excited for what’s to come, but all of that is causing some problems.

During the recent May Day holiday, thousands upon thousands of people descended on Disney Town to hang out or try to get a peek beyond the walls into Shanghai Disneyland. According to Shanghaiist, there was a lot more done than just trying to get a small preview and walk around the new area.

Tourists were littering and leaving their trash everywhere. Lamp posts, walls, and other surfaces were defaced with graffiti and some carving their names into them. Flowerbeds and gardens were completely demolished as some trampled on them and posed in the middle for pictures.

Some signs had been put up to tell people to stay out of the gardens and stay on the path. Those signs were knocked over and stepped on as tourists made their way into the middle of the flowerbeds.

While there has been trash left on the ground, property defaced, and gardens completely trampled outside of Shanghai Disneyland, that isn’t all. In some instances, it is a lot worse than anyone could possibly imagine.

In some instances, the vandalism has gotten totally out of hand with lamp posts having names and phrases carved into them. SCMP reports that many of the carvings state “[insert name] was travelling here,” and have been seen on posts all around the entrance to Shanghai Disneyland.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Disney employees were walking all around quickly and trying to grab the trash and garbage as it hit the ground. Security was running wild all over the place and trying to keep everyone off of the grass and out of the gardens.

Not everything that has gone on around Shanghai Disneyland has been negative, and that is somewhat promising.

Many of those walking around Disney Town may not have been thrilled with the parking rate of $9.25 a day, but other things pleased them. There were compliments about the clean bathrooms and the free water available to guests.

Only one business was running so far, and it was the sale of ice pops in some freestanding kiosks.

Despite the treatment of the surrounding grounds, it appears as if the tourists and locals were thrilled with what they had seen thus far and what is to come. Disney may have a number of things to work out with Disney Town and Shanghai Disneyland, but at least the excitement is there.

Shanghai Disneyland is going to be an incredible and amazing tourist location that will revolutionize the way things are done at theme parks. With six weeks left to go until the official opening date, Disney is going to touch up things, tweak minor issues, and make sure all is working perfectly. If they can’t keep Disney Town from being destroyed beforehand, it may end up being closed off before too long and opening again with the park.

[Image via Disney]

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